Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Readers' Advisory Matrix
*I found these questions challenging to answer, but they also caused me to reflect on the book and what I thought of it when I read it. I have been working on my final paper, conducting readers' advisory on friends and family and I may have to go back to one of them now with this information in hand. They like to read fiction and non fiction and I struggled with how to accurately evaluate the non fiction books they would like.
Born to Run
by Christopher McDougall
Where is the book on the narrative continuum? A mix
What is the subject of the book? It is an adventure read mixed in with the science of running and ancient culture.
What type of book is it? Memoir
Articulate appeal
What is the pacing of the book? The book has a leisurely pace, easy to set down and come back to again.
Describe the characters of the book? While it is Chris McDougall's biography and he delves into his search for an answer about running pain free, it is also the story of hard to find Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and the answers he find with them and a few other extreme athletes.
How does the story feel? Your are taken a long on the journey as the author searches for his answer about running pain free. But you don't have to be a runner to be inspired.
What is the focus of the story? The main focus at first seems to be about running pain free and finding the answer to do it. But it is also about the strength of the human spirit.
Does the language matter? Yes
Is the setting important and well described? The setting isn't necessarily important, however in sections as he talks about finding the tribe and running in Mexico's Copper Canyons then it becomes important and is well described.
Are their details and, if so, of what? The details are in the location, the biometrics of running and the people.
Are their sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? None
Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding or experience? The whole story leads to learning and understanding gained from the experience, but they all come together to make an impact.
Why would a reader enjoy this book?
1) Self-reflection 2) Learning/experience 3) Humor
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I agree with you on the challenge of this. As someone who has read almost exclusively fiction for the past year or so, this caused me to re-read parts of a book I had liked, but not completely stuck with me. I think it also showed me I need to give nonfiction more of a chance. (Also, I think I want to read this book!!)
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really interesting! I don't read a lot of fitness books, but the premise is kind of puzzling. What is the tie between running and the Tarahumara? Are they really into running, or are these two separate topics the author wanted to write about? I hope you liked it!
ReplyDeleteThey are a tribe in Mexico that live remote and he goes in search of one of them and the tribe- learning about how they run extreme distances in remote country. There is a lot about self reflection.
DeleteGreat job! I agree, I found this challenging as well. This book sounds really interesting! As a former runner, I would probably benefit from reading about running pain free. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteFantastic job on filling this out! Like you said it really makes you pause and think abut what you're reading! Full points!
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